News for the Young Punjab!

New Party ‘Swaraj India’ hoping to make its mark in Punjab Elections

Swaraj India, the political party recently launched by Swaraj Abhiyan leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, both of whom were earlier in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and were shown the door by Arvind Kejriwal on grounds of ‘indiscipline’. This nascent party is looking to participate in Punjab Elections, even though it still not have any major ground presence in the state. The party has finally put in place a team that will spearhead the effort.

The party is looking to rope in voters who are disillusioned with traditional parties and disappointed with AAP.

Yogendra Yadav, an experience poll strategist, is of the view that since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), that had emerged as a third alternative in Punjab after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it is losing its sheen. Yadav gave the example of People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), led by Manpreet Badal. The PPP had failed to win a single seat in the assembly elections in Punjab though it led a very loud and visible campaign ahead of the polls.

He pointed out that AAP is losing ground over the last couple of months in terms of its acceptability, credibility and legitimacy. “The space being vacated should not be allowed to go back to the traditional parties, particularly the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). For a new political party the journey is either going upwards or going down. It does not stabilise somewhere in between,” he said.